The Deal
by Alias-JoyLemmon
Summary: In Rose's second year, she makes a deal with her cousin James - she won't play Quidditch and he'll give her the invisibility cloak. This Deal starts the Rose and Scorpius relationship.


**The Deal**

It was Rose's second year when she made The Deal with her cousin James.

"So you promise that, in exchange for my invisibility cloak, you will not try out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?" He asked her seriously.

"Only while you're at school. When you graduate, I can try out." She affirmed.

He extended his hand. "Shake on it Cousin."

She shook his hand. "Cloak?"

And so The Deal was made.

~/*\~

It confused Albus and Scorpius alike, why their best friend (and cousin) Rose wasn't on her house team yet. She was very talented, despite her hopeless parentage. Quidditch ran strong within her family's blood – just not her father's, and her mother had no patience for it.

She supported all her family and Scorpius in the Quidditch endeavours, even giving Scorpius pointers, but she didn't try out.

It confused everyone but James.

On Quidditch days, they both nodded, Rose tapping her shoulder while doing so.

It perplexed Scorpius, but he dropped it.

Rose was just as strange as her relatives.

~/*\~

Rose spent that whole second year under the cloak, trailing after Albus and Scorpius who had possession of the Marauder's Map. Apparently, James' grandfather and namesake had made it so that if you were under the cloak, you couldn't be seen on the map, unless the map was in your possession.

She discovered much of the castle with Albus and Scorpius, thought they didn't know.

~/*\~

In her third year at Hogwarts, Rose spent the majority of her nights under the cloak, flying around the grounds, loving the freedom of being so high, so untouchable.

When she wasn't under the cloak, she was studying up in the Astronomy Tower.

It was Scorpius who found her the first time, walking back and forth along the precarious ledge, reciting the 12 uses for dragon's blood.

Soon, he joined her there for studying – it was up at that great height that he first discovered that he liked Rose Weasley as more than a best friend.

That he liked her as a girl.

She was pretty, and smart, and had a good memory. She also knew everything about Quidditch – her favourite book 'Quidditch throughout the ages'.

She was, in short, amazing.

He always wondered why she wasn't on the Ravenclaw Team – he had seen her play with her relatives during the summer, and she was very good at everything – Keeping especially, much to her father's joy.

~/*\~

It wasn't until fourth year – James' last year – when Rose regretted making her deal.

It was pouring rain, as it had suddenly decided to storm.

She had packed an old raincoat and gum boots in case of rain as she had wanted to study outside, but was left to trudge to the castle, which was a very long way away from where she had been.

She sighed, shouldering her already-soaked books, before setting off.

She wasn't even half way there when suddenly, the constant downpour stopped.

Well, didn't _stop_ perse, but it was no longer raining on her.

She looked up, and saw Scorpius, her best friend, sitting on his new Nimbus, holding an umbrella out for her, not caring that he was getting wet.

"What are you doing out here?" She yelled over the top of the rain.

"We had practise – and besides, it looks like you could the brollie!"

She blushed. "Thanks," she went to reach for it, but Scorpius held it higher.

"Get on the broom Rose, it'll be quicker."

She grinned, charmed her books to back of the broom, and jumped on behind him

"Here, you hold this," he told her, handing the umbrella, before zooming away.

She laughed – a full head-thrown-back, belly-clutching, not-caring-who-heard-or-saw laugh, that made Scorpius' day.

It wasn't every day you could make your crush laugh and hold you tightly around the waist at the same time.

~/*\~

That following year, Rose made the Ravenclaw team and prefect.

She was the most talented keeper that Hogwarts had seen since Oliver Wood – pride of Puddlemere United – had been in Gryffindor.

That year was the year that Scorpius confessed his feelings for Rose.

It was the year that Rose and Scorpius became a couple.

~/*\~

In the sixth year – after Rose and Scorpius battled for every O.W.L., Quidditch game and house cup, both of them were promoted to captain of their respective house team.

Despite the fact that they were technically 'sleeping with the enemy', they didn't give up on their rivalry, on their relationship, or on occasionally 'slipping' up with Quidditch tips.

James' cloak soon became a way for them to have a relationship without being caught, both by their fellow housemates and teachers.

Midnight walks and flights cloaked with invisibility was a way for them to retain the magic of first true love.

It also kept them both updated on the rival teams. Gryffindor lost Quidditch spectacularly that year.

~/*\~

In their seventh year – both of them now Heads – the cloak became a way of making secret visits to the Head bathrooms, the other's dormitory, and Rose the ability to spy on the other teams – even Slytherin, despite her promise to Scorpius that she wouldn't. She reasoned that what he didn't know – or see – wouldn't hurt him.

It was in her seventh year, when Ravenclaw beat Slytherin for the Quidditch cup that she was approached by scouts, who promised her interviews with every decent Quidditch club in the whole of the British Isles.

It was James' cloak that hid her insecurities over being chosen during the small hours of the morning as she sat in the astronomy tower crying.

~/*\~

Years later, after Scorpius announcing for the hundredth time – literally, Rose had been keeping count – that it was because of him she fell in love with Quidditch, that James finally got his cloak back, along with two tickets to her first professional game of playing Keeper for the Pride of Poitree.

A note came with it.

_Dearest James._

_Our little deal from all those years ago made me realise how grateful I was for those four years without Quidditch – they also helped me fall in love, and keep said love's ego sufficiently afloat for many years now, and probably many more years to come._

_I now have no real need for your cloak, I think that, as your oldest will almost be ready for Hogwarts in a few years, that he should have it._

_I hope that you come to my first game – the first for goal's I save are for you. _

_And no, to save your owl the trouble, I will not tell what I did with the cloak these many years. Let's just say that just because I wasn't on the team, didn't mean I wasn't a broom haha._

_Love you Jamie,_

_Your Sneaky Rose._


End file.
